Valve



y 5- V L. o. REICHELT ETAL 2,404,529

I VALVE Filed May l2, 1943 v 3 Sheets-Sheet l I nvvsurons L.O. RE/CHELT 0. ll WA TERS ATTORNEY I y 1946; L. 6. REICHELT ET AL 2,404,529

VALVE I Filed May 12, 1943 a Shets-Sheet s FIG. 7

F I a. a

, L m5 PRESSURE INVENTORS L.0. RE/CHELT D.|/. WATERS ATTORNEY TREADL E TRA VEL Patented July 23, 1946 Lester 0. Reichelt, Cranf Waters, Flemington, Electric Company, N. Y., a corporation rd, and Daniel Vaughn N. J assignors to Western Incorporated, New York, of New York Application May 12, 1943, Serial No. 486,640

1 Claim. (01. 121 46.5)

This invention relates to valves, and more particularly controlling apparatus for fluid operated machines.

During the operation of certain types of machines, it has been found desirable ofttimes to be able to apply varied forces to the .material work ing parts of the machine and/or to cause their movement into operative positions at varied speeds. When the control of such machines lies in a manually actuable fluid control apparatus, it has been found advantageous to equip the apparatus with means so that, through it, these variations may be brought about.

An object of the invention is to provide a fluid controlling apparatus which is simple in construction yet highly eflicient for actuation in controlling the operation of a machine.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a fluid control apparatus having ahousing with fluid :chambers therein, in one of which a pair of supply valves is disposed, an exhaust valve being disposed in' the other, and means to control the supply and exhaust valves for alternately supplying a fluid under pressure to opposite sides of an operating piston, one of.

the supply valves having an associate control to vary the pressure of the fluid directed to its respective side of the piston.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed-description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein a a l r Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown connected to a machine, the operation of which the apparatus is to control; a

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the apparatus. this view being taken along the line 33 of F Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a part "of the fluid control means of one of the supply valves Fig.7 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a, graph showing variations in pressure at opposite sides of the piston through the control of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1, which illustrates the apparatus, indicated generally at 10, connected to a fluid supply line H and having fluid lines I 2 and I4 extending to and communicating with the operative and return portions of a cylinder I 5 below and above a piston [6. Although the apparatus has been designed to control air Lmder messure to the cylinder, it would function equally well with other fluids such as oil, Water and the like. The

cylinder and :piston are part of aschematically illustrated machine, indicated generally at H, which includes a die [8 movable with the piston relative to its companion die 19 which is supportedby suitable means 20. a

The apparatus In has a housing 22 threadedly apertured at 23, 24 and 25 for the connection of the supply line II and the fluid lines l2 and I4 respectively. By viewing Fig. 5, it will beapparent that the supply line H, or the threaded aperture therefor, leads into a chamber 21, this chamber extending lengthwise of the housing as illustrated in Fig. 2. Communicating with the chamber 2'! are two control valves 28 and 29 which may be respectively termed operating and return'valves, as they will control theflow of the fluid to move the die l8 through the action of the piston It respectively into the operating position and the returnor normal position. These valves are normally urged downwardly into engagement with their seats or apertures 30 and 3| by their respective springs 32 and 33. Threaded caps or covers 34 and 35 are disposed in threaded apertures of the housing in alignnient'with their respective valves 28 and 29, to function as abutting supports for their springs and to provide access to the valves.

The valve wardly through apertures 39 and it in the housing to agiven position beneath the housing, as shown in Fig. 5. Concentric with the valve stem 38 is a 'control element or metering valve 4!, which is cylindrical in general contour for slidable movement in the aperture 39 and has circumferentially spaced V-grooves ery extending from the upper, end thereof to positions at approximately the center of the element, at which positions the grooves taper outwardly, .as indicated at 43., to the cylindrical periphery of the element at these points. The portions of the element between the grooves 42 in the upper half of theelement are recessed, as at 44, to allow for the free passage of the fluid under pressure completely around the element at this portion. The lower end of the element 4| has a shoulder 45 to receive the upper end of a spring 46; the lower end of which rests upon a shoulder .41 of a tubular member 48, the latter being dis- '28 has a stem 38 projecting down- 42 in its periphstem 38.

to which the fluid and hold it in its open position shown At this time attention is directed to a hollow portion 59 of the housing which is open to the atmosphere, the aperture 39 communicating with this open portion. The threadedaperture 24,

line I2 is connected, communicates with the aperture 39 and through it with the chamber 21 and the atmosphere at the open Also, at the bottom a of the aperture 39 an annular recess 5| i sforme d V in the housing about the element .4|.' ,7

portion 59, depending upon valve 28 and the element 4|.

the control of the Attention is now directed to'the valve ber 21 and controls the fluid under pressure from the chamber 21 to a chamber 53. The chamber 29, e as illustrated in Fig. 4, is disposed in the cham f 53 extends longitudinally of the housing 22, as

illustrated in Fig. 2, affording communication between the chamber 2'! at the valve 29 and the threaded aperture 25 to which the fluid line I4 is connected. In the chamber 53 an exhaust valve 55 is disposed, normally'held on its seat or aperture 56 by a spring 51 positioned in a cap 58 threadedly disposed in an" aperture of the housing as illustrated in Fig. 5. The valve 55 is adapted to open the chamber 53 to the atmos- I phere through the open portion 59 ofthe hous ing. A stem 59 for the valve 55 extend downwardly through the housing to a'position, as illustrated in Fig. 5; in a plane with the lower end of the valve stem 38., A Valve stem 60 for the valve 2'9 extends downwardly through the housing to a position indicated at 6|, at a'different level from that of the lower ends of the valve stems 38 and 59. V V 1 The means for actuating the valves through contact with their valve stems is illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, and includes a lever 63 pivotally supported'at 64 and actuable through a treadle 65, pivoted at 66, against the force of a spring 51, the latter normally urging the lever into the position shown in Fig. 1,,to actuate the valve 29 in Fig. 4. In this position the valves 28 and 55 remain closed and the valve 4| open as illustrated in'Fig. 5. To assistthe lever 63 in operating the valves 28 and 55, a cross piece orelement 19 has its central portion lying upon a rounded end H of the lever -63, its ends being provided with, hearing portion 12 for movement on guide rods 13 which,

through the bearings, assure maintenance of the element in a true horizontal position at all times during its movement. The element 10 isdisposed for engagement with the tubular member 48 and the valve stems 3B and 59.

Upon considering the operation of the valve in conjunction with the apparatus let it be assumed that the valve and apparatus are in the normal position shown in Fig. 1. In this position the valve '29 is open and fluid'under pres-v sure is free to pass from line H through chamber 21, aperture 3| opened by the valve29, chamits engagement with the element 10, is moved upwardly and with it is moved the spring 46 and the control element 4|. This movement of the elements 48 and 4| and the connecting spring '45 continues to cause the solid lower portion of the element 4| to substantially close the aperture 39 before the valve 28 is opened. When the element 10 is moved a suflicient distance to engage the lower ends of the valve stems 38 and 59, it is in a position to open the valves 28 and against the force of their spring 32 and 51. The opening of the valve 55 provides an exhausting means for the upper portion of the cylinder 5 through the line H, the chamber 53, and into the atmosphere through the aperture 56 opened by the valve 55 at the hollow portion 50. However, prior to the opening of the exhaust valve I 55 the valve 29 will be'closed by the aforementioned action of the treadle and lever. Y

| 2 and the portion of the cylinder beneaththe.

piston I6, will build upapressure' depending upon theholdi'ng' force of the element 4|. This force will be applied against the force of the'spring 46 and if the force of the fluid is'greater than that of the sprin theelement 4| will be moved downwardly until these forces are balanced, at

which time the grooves 42 in the element 4| may extend out of the aperture 39 and allow a portion of the fluid to escape; parent that the position of the'treadle, and in a like manner the position of the lever 63, gov? erns the pressure of the fluid applied to the piston l6. The pressure at the piston may be in.- creased or varied with increased pressure or variation of pressure on the treadle 65. Thus a gradual downward movement of the treadle will cause a gradual increase in the force of the spring 46 through the continued upward movement of ber 53, and fluid line l4, to the upper portion of the cylinder I5. This fluid pressure causes downward movement of thepiston IE, to move the die l8 awayfrom its companion die l9.

To move the dies into closed position, that is the die l8 relative to the die 19, the treadle or control element is moved about its pivot B6, and as a result lever 63 is'moved about its pivot 64 against the force of the spring 61. During the movement of thelever 63, the valve 29 is released .and allowed-to be closed by its spring 33'; At'the same time the tubular member 48, through the member 48, effecting an increase'in the force of the fluid passing to the cylinder beneath the piston. During this movement of the treadle and the member 48, the spring 46 tends to force the control element 4| upwardly into the aperture 39, to decrease the size of the outlet portions at the grooves '42 'and thus decrease the amount of fluid allowed to escape. Through continued movement of thetreadle 65, added force will be established in the spring 46 until .hisforce is greater than the line or supply pres,- sure of the fluid, at which time the full force of the fluid will be applied to the piston. It will, therefore, be apparent that the apparatus may be moved into closed position under variablepressures or under a constantly increasing pressure, such being under thecomplete control "of. the treadle' t v The action of the piston lfi'under this force may be illustrated by the graph shown injFig. "8. The (left) vertical line represents pressure in the cylinder, the lower horizontal line represents the treadle position'or the position ofthelever 53 relative to its valve stems and the upper dotted line represents line pressureorthe 'fullpressure of the fluid. from the supply line ,Thus start: ing at zero with the treadle in its nermal jposi tion, theline marked (LI), lower intake, indi oates the effect of a gradual depression of the Thus it will be apv full line zero.

The line marked UE, upper exhaust, indicates the pressure in the cylinder above the piston. It will, therefore, be apparent, by this line UE, that the upper cylinder end has full line pressure of the fluid therein prior to the actuation of the treadle or during the normal position thereof.

After a given movement of the treadle, as indicated by the horizontal portion of this line, the valve 55 will be opened, the valve 29 being closed, allowing escapement of the fluid from the upper cylinder end into the atmosphere. The time interval for exhausting the upper cylinder end is short, as indicated by the said line UE.

The lines UI and LE represent the upper intake and lower exhaust under the control of the valve. The return movement of the piston I6 is more rapid than its feeding movement, as illustrated by the lower exhaust line LE coupled with the intake line LI and comparable with the upper intake UI for the upper cylinder end. In each instance there is free uninterrupted passag for the fluid entering the upper end of the cylinder through the opening of the valve 29 and the exhausting of the fluid from lower end of the cylinder through the closing of the valve 28, effecting opening of the aperture 0r passageway 39 for the exhausting of the fluid into the atmosphere through the grooves 42 in the element 4|. In this manner the element 4|, through its grooves, serves as an exhausting means during this portion of the operation of the valve structure and serves as a pressure control means during the opening of its valve 28. ,As a result of the valve structure, the operating portions of the apparatus may be returned as rapidly as desired, their movement into operating positions, however, being controlled through the speed of travel of the treadle or its associated lever. It should be understood, also, that the stopping of the movement of the treadle at varied positions will result in the application of varied pressures operating the apparatus. It may not be necessary, in certain instances, to apply full line pressure to the piston. In such instances the desired pressure may be applied by limiting the position of the treadle. v

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A fluid control apparatus comprising a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port with a connecting passageway therebetween having an outlet end opening to the atmosphere adjacent the outlet port, a valve normally closing the passageway between the ports and having a stem extending through the said outlet end of the passageway, a supply line for a fluid under pressure connected to the inlet port, a fluid line connected to the outlet port, a member movable under varied forces to engage the stem and open the valve to v open the passageway between the ports, an element movably disposed in the passageway concentric with the stem and formed to close the outlet end of the passageway when in one position to cause the fluid under its full pressure to pass into the fluid line and to provide an opening varying in size with variations in the position of "the element in the passageway to cause varied quantities of the fluid to escape through the said 'exit end and thereby vary the force of the fluid in the fluid line, and resilient means to apply varied forces to the element to vary the position thereof in the passageway.

LESTER O. REICHELT.

DANIEL VAUGHN WATERS. 

